


Rescue

by Mitsuhachi



Category: Saiunkoku Monogatari
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-18
Updated: 2011-11-18
Packaged: 2017-10-26 05:27:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/279237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mitsuhachi/pseuds/Mitsuhachi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Wait for it...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rescue

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings for discussions of child abuse, and also my weird-ass sense of humor.

Ryuuki ran blindly down the twisting halls of the Palace, trying to make for the administrative areas. He gasped a tight breath. The heavy threat of his brothers’ boots echoed far too close behind him. He whipped around a corner; a long straight corridor, nude of nooks or columns or cover of any sort stretched out in front of him; his brothers thundered behind. At the end of the hall, a door stood propped half-open. Ryuuki made a dash for it, knocked the prop out of the way in his hurry. The heavy oaken door thumped shut behind him just in time for Ryuuki to listen to his brother’s footsteps rush past in the hall. Ryuuki tucked himself behind a large stack of reports, fisted his hands in his robes and tried not to shiver. His face was wet, and he couldn’t stop that either. He bit his lips against the sound.

“What are you doing here?” a cool voice from somewhere over him demanded. Ryuuki scuttled back, caught a watery glance of warm yellow robes and long hair too close to evade. His throat closed with a high panicked whine. He closed his eyes. “Oh for…you’re that prince, aren’t you. The one Shouka goes on about,” the voice sighed. One very soft finger traced the dirty tear-tracks on Ryuuki’s face; Ryuuki held very still. Maybe, if this person knew Shouka, they wouldn’t hurt him too badly. “Well, come on then. We can’t just leave you like that.”

Ryuuki sank his weight down; the grown-up was strong enough that it didn’t matter, lifting Ryuuki easily to his feet and pulling him along. He wanted to struggle and knew it would only make things worse. His breath was coming in harsh little hiccups; he didn’t know what part of the Palace he was in, didn’t know the hiding places here, it was too soon. If the stranger threw him out, his brothers would catch him for sure! They had to know roughly where they’d lost him. But instead of leading him back to the door, the grown-up led him to a big, comfortable-looking chair tucked in the corner behind a desk and left. Ryuuki climbed up into it and curled his knees into his chest, trying to remember how Seien-aniue would hold him in times like this. It was getting easier to breath.

The grown-up came back, and instead of yelling at him, they brushed Ryuuki’s face with a soft, cool cloth, wiping away the tears and blood as though they’d never been. They were even careful of his bruises when they bandaged his cuts. Ryuuki sighed, blinked suddenly heavy eyes. He hadn’t thought there would be another person here as nice as Shouka. “Come on,” the nice person said, “Don’t go to sleep in my chair. I have to work. Go play or something.” Ryuuki could hear the nice person sounding kind of annoyed, felt bad for upsetting them, but he didn’t think he could help it. He was _really_ sleepy.

Suddenly, Ryuuki was flying. The nice person lifted him up even higher than Seien-aniue used to, and then settled him down again into their lap. Strands of very dark hair settled all around Ryuuki, catching the light and shimmering. Delicate long-boned hands came around him to take up the writing implements on the desk. Ryuuki’s jaw stretched in a yawn as he tipped his head back against the nice person’s shoulder to look at them. He couldn’t help a little thrill of disappointment, as he cuddled closer against their chest; he should have known better than to think there would be more than one kind person in the Palace. He tried to remember to be grateful anyway though; it wasn’t every day one was rescued by a tennyo.


End file.
